Vino Rosso

After winning the first two starts of his career in 2017, both by open lengths, Vino Rosso finished third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes in his stakes and season debut on Feb. 10, 2018, and followed with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

Sent to Aqueduct for one final try at qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, Vino Rosso put it together, rallying from off of the pace to outfinish Engage and win the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Presented by NYRA Bets by three lengths. He earned 100 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, securing a spot in the May 5 classic.

Vino Rosso broke from post 18 in the Kentucky Derby and had a wide trip but made up some late ground to finish ninth. He returned five weeks later and ran a solid fourth behind Triple Crown winner Justify in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Vino Rosso made his first start after the Triple Crown in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and finished third by three-quarters of a length. He subsequently finished fifth in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes in his final start as a 3-year-old.

Vino Rosso returned from more than six month off in the Stymie Stakes on March 9 at Aqueduct and battled gamely in the stretch to repel a tenacious late bid from Title Ready and prevail. He then ran an even fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap going a seven furlongs at Aqueduct before shipping to Santa Anita Park and stretching out to his preferred two-turn distance in the mile-and-a-quarter Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27.

With regular rider John Velazquez aboard, Vino Rosso stalked the pace and outdueled Santa Anita Handicap winner Gift Box to prevail by three-quarters of a length, securing his first Grade 1 victory.

After running a well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in August at Saratoga, Vino Rosso turned in a monster effort in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 28 at Belmont Park by holding off Code of Honor late after a thrilling, physical stretch run. Belmont Park stewards subsequently disqualified Vino Rosso and placed him second, however, for initiating the contact and interfering with Code of Honor. 

Vino Rosso shipped back to Santa Anita, the site of his win in the Gold Cup earlier in the year, for a start in the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2. Facing a tough field including Code of Honor, McKinzie, and Elate, Vino Rosso was reserved in fourth behind the early pace through the backstretch under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who had already won three races during the two-day World Championships. Ortiz angled Vino Rosso out through the far turn and his colt engaged McKinzie at the top of the stretch. Those two Grade 1 winners matched strides into the final sixteenth, where Vino Rosso pulled away to an impressive victory.

Vino Rosso was honored for his breakthrough 4-year-old season with the 2019 Eclipse Award as Champion Older Dirt Male. The colt is owned by Mike Repole's Repole Stable and Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable.